Cloud Print Server Virtual Printer Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud printing services do not allow for seamless cooperation between multiple cloud printing services, requiring users to manually designate print jobs in each service, which is inconvenient for users.
Innovation Solution
A cloud print server system that manages printing apparatuses and their attributes, allowing for the association of printing apparatuses with virtual printers, and enabling the transmission of print jobs to the appropriate printing apparatus based on user instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cloud printing services are operated in cooperation, then printing functionality is enhanced and more printing apparatuses can be managed, but users must manually designate print jobs in each service which reduces ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud print server as an intermediary that manages multiple cloud printing services. The server includes a management unit that handles print job registration and transmission, and a display control unit that presents a unified interface. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of multiple services from the user, allowing automatic routing of print jobs without manual designation in each service while maintaining the ability to cooperate with multiple printing services.
2Ease of operation
If specific types of printing apparatuses are displayed in the printing apparatus list, then users can easily identify the type of printer, but the list becomes more complex and harder to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively displaying device type information only for printing apparatuses where it is relevant and useful. The display control unit determines whether to show device type based on the specific apparatus and context, rather than uniformly displaying all information. This allows users to identify printer types when needed while keeping the overall list structure simple and manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A cloud print server manages a printing apparatus and device attributes of the printing apparatus, a device type included in the device attribute having information indicating a type of a printing apparatus. The cloud print server displays a list of printing apparatuses managed by the cloud print server while not displaying a specific type of printing apparatus or hanging a display mode of the specific type of printing apparatus and accept selection of the printing apparatus list displayed by an administrator. The cloud print server associates the selected printing apparatus to a virtual printer, stores a print job submit to the virtual printer in one or more memory in association with the virtual printer and transmits the print job stored in association with the virtual printer to the associated printing apparatus according to an instruction from a user.